Holiday Goodies...

Just wanted to post some pictures of the holiday treats I made my students this year. So much fun! Oh, and I had to add a cute family picture, too. Enjoy!

An Update...

So here's what we've had going on...Pictures will be posted soon!

1. The Flu (102 temps, aches, chills, etc.) for me.
2. National English Conference in Philly. My presentation went really well! Lots of people attended, and I received some great feedback. Thanks, Dad, for all of your help! Plus, I got to hang out with Mom, Dad, and Claire for the weekend. What a great visit!! Just too short...
3. Thanksgiving in Dallas with Shawn's family. Very relaxing and nice! We got to see New Moon, crazy ice sculptures, and the stockades at Fort Worth. Fun times.
4. First basketball game for my Middle School B team. A loss, but a hard-fought game and definitely a learning experience for my girls. Our next game is tomorrow.

And upcoming...
1. Shawn B-day!! Can't wait to celebrate with my hubby!
2. End of the semester at school.
3. Christmas trip to Virginia.
4. New Year's trip to PA.
5. And ????

What's Been Happening with the Hardings...

Wow! It has been a while. I haven't been feeling too well recently, so I have been slipping behind in my posting (among other things...). So to catch up, I am going to implement a list and some pictures. Enjoy!

1. A new refrigerator. One night, around 8, I noticed our freezer was dripping and the temp in our frig was climbing. With the help of a parent from our school, we trekked to Sears and bought a new one and installed it that night. We had already talked about replacing the appliances in our kitchen, and we are really excited about our beautiful stainless Kenmore refrigerator.

2. My mom came to visit. Well, first, we met up with my grandpa and aunt and uncle down in Orlando to spend a day at Epcot. You are never too old to go to Disney with your mom!! I had such a good time! For lunch, we went to Paris, and the meal was amazing. I was in cheese heaven!! Then, mom and grandpa drove back to G-ville with me to pick up Riley for the weekend. When we got home, we were locked out. The best laid plans.... On Saturday, I treated my family to Mochi and we hung out with Riley. After grandpa left in the afternoon, us girls went shopping for three hours! So much fun. We picked out a baptism dress for Riley and her birthday present from my parents: her very own kitchen!! She loves it! It was great spending time with my mom. I definitely do not get to see her or my dad or my siblings nearly enough, and I hope they know how much I miss and love them!!

3. I'm coaching! That's right. I signed on as the Middle School B coach for our school. I am thrilled. I have missed coaching since I have been down here in Florida, and it is great to have a group of girls and share my love of the sport with them.

4. Haunted House. This one is all Shawn. He worked one with a buddy of his from school for the past two weeks. I feel like I have barely seen my husband for weeks now, but I know he had a great time scaring people and helping to build and design the rooms. Riley and I did go for a walk-thru, and it was awesome. They did a great job!!

5. Halloween for Riley. This year, we took Riley to Boo at the Zoo. She had a blast, and it was nice to get some fresh air. The event was really cool - lots to see and lots of candy for kids. Riley was a spider this year, and she had to be the cutest spider I've ever seen!

That's all for now!

Here's Riley...

Happy 18 Months, Riley!

So hard to believe my baby is 18 months old today. Each day, she amazes me more and more. Each day, she learns something new. Each day, I fall more in love.

Fun with Riley...

Riley is almost 18 months, which is so hard to believe. She is such a doll. I feel so lucky and blessed to be her mom! These days, she is learning new words all the time. This past week, she got good at "snack," "bathroom," and "water." We had a great time this weekend getting family portraits done, going swimming, going out to dinner (she LOVED the lobster tank!), and today going to the park and library. Her laugh is infectious; I love being around her because she makes me so happy!

Anyways, enough gushing...enjoy the pictures!

Landscaping!

Last weekend, Shawn, Riley, and I gave our front yard some much needed TLC. We planted 20 plants in our front flower beds. So far, everything is still alive, and I am excited to come home just to see them! Next and final step: mulch. But we have to figure out if we should do that now or wait until the spring. . . .

Cross Country Baby!

At the cross country meet on Saturday, these pictures were snapped. Riley was being her typical cute self, except for the second picture when she was tired and crying. She had a ball at the meet playing with a couple of puppies, traffic cones, and the team. Plus, she ran around a lot. Who knows? Maybe she'll be a record-setting distance runner like her dad? Maybe one day she will want to run a marathon with me? How cool would that be?

What I'm Reading...One more Tim O'Brien

This past week, I read Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien. Though it was long (395 pages), the story was rich, layered, imaginative, and hopeful - despite the background of 'Nam. In this National Book Award winner, a team of soldiers goes after one of their own - Cacciato - who planned to walk from Vietnam to Paris. The men who give chase (Stink, Oscar, Paul Berlin, Doc, Eddie, and the lieutenant) call it a mission, but aren't they, like Cacciato, just running from the war? And is the act of running brave or cowardly? The men trace Cacciato into the Middle East and finally through Europe. They met a girl en route, Sarkin Aung Wan, who helps them escape from tunnels and wants desperately to settle down in an apartment in Paris. Along the way, they encounter water buffalos, earthquakes, jail, sickness, love, monotony, and measures of happiness.

At the same time, the novel skips back to stories from the war, told from Paul Berlin's perspective.

And as per Tim O'Brien's usual, the question of what is real and what is imaginary, what is story and what is fact looms throughout.

The prose here doesn't just pull off a winning story of war; it elevates the tale into the realm of meaningful reflection on life, humankind, and war.

Does Cacciato make it to Paris? Does the team trailing him make it? Can the trip even be made? Here's a tale of a journey that is worth taking.

Playing Dress-up!

The other night, Riley decided she wanted to look more like me! Can you blame her? I have been dressing more fashionable recently. . . . Anyways, she had me put on the belt (which had to be looped around her twice), and then she romped around the house in my heels. Too cute. My little girl is growing up!

What I'm Reading...

The Puttermesser Papers by Cynthia Ozick

This story is wildly imaginative and highly lyrical. I found the prose to be enthralling, and the main character Ruth Puttermesser is at once sympathetic and frustrating, lovable and annoying - yet, always contemplative and deep. Set in New York City, this novel tells the tale of an aging woman who works for a government agency, becomes the mayor, creates a golem, is obsessed with George Elliot, has a Russian cousin who comes to visit, and ultimately offers insight into what Paradise is. The ending stretches the limits of narrative and challenges notions of point-of-view consistency in order to provide a reflection on life and death that is profound and critical.

A finalist for the National Book Award, this novel is a powerful, unique, at times fantastical character portrait.

Monkey Baby!

Just playing around the house this afternoon, and here's how Riley wanted to do her hair...

How cute is that! She is such a fun and smart and loving kid. These days, she has been getting more and more ready to talk. She is good with words like bath, ball, nana (for banana), mama, and dada. We've also been working on keys, please, thank you, and I love you. So exciting! She is also doing a better job of sitting on her potty (though she only pees in it every once in a while), helping to give the cats water, giving kisses, and cleaning up after herself. Seriously, she wipes up spilled water and throws away garbage. Oh, and she has been carrying a purse around on her arm lately. Some days, we can't go anywhere without it! My little girl is growing up. . . and, I'm just thrilled to be a part of it!

Another Book Down: Less than two full days later...

I just finished Tim O'Brien's book In the Lake of the Woods this morning, even though I just started it on Tuesday night. Honestly, I could not put it down. So many elements of the story combined to make it a gripping read: First, the prose. Wow, can O'Brien write. I am in awe of his use of language to stir emotion, render sentiment, and demand thought. Second, the structure. He is a master at mixing genres within a novel. It is as if O'Brien is challenging the definition of a novel, a story, and working within and outside of traditional bounds to bring us something more essential, more captivating, more pure. He brings us the dream that is the story and invites us in, holds us in, and won't let us go. And finally, the content. This novel is at once a love story, a mystery, a war story, a story of dealing with failure, and a story of finding happiness.

If you do check it out, I am curious to know your take on what happens or what may have happened. This is definitely a story that is fun to talk about. And, one that will stay with you. . .

What I Just Finished Reading...

This past week, I read Annie Dillard's The Maytrees.

What a delightful and touching story. Dillard's writing is beautiful: concise and dead-on. And the story, a tale of a couple who parts and then reunites in old age, moves along and builds almost surprisingly until the epilogue, when the essence of the story is surrendered (and, of course, I started to cry). Here's a novel that reveals a lot about love and a lot about life through courtship, marriage, parenting, separation, disease, friendship, injury, and aging. So many of the lines in this book are beautifully rendered and striking in their stark simplicity. At the same time, the power of place is highlighted in this story. Provincetown and its skies are fondly depicted and enter into the story as a character, as striking as Maytree and as quiet as Lou. As I read, I wanted nothing more than to be on the dunes myself, watching the landscape change with the times.

If you want a book that will challenge you to question the definition of love and the meaning of life in a soft yet poignant way, check out The Maytrees. I'm glad I did.

My New Do!

After three long months, I finally treated myself to a haircut yesterday. I went to the same woman who did my hair for Caroline's wedding. She is amazing!

Now, my hair feels amazing, and I have to admit, when my hair looks good, I feel better about myself. I guess a splurge every now and then is worth it for a self-confidence boost. And I needed it now, with the school year starting and the baby thing not starting. . . . Anyways, I love my hair, and I just wanted to share!

What I just finished reading a moment ago...

Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer by Steven Millhauser

This story won the 1997 Pulizer Prize, and I can see why. Millhauser is a master descriptionist (if that's not a word, it should be, just to describe him). The novel takes readers on a journey through the American Dream as the nineteenth century ushers in the twentieth in New York City. As in the other Millhauser stories I have read, this one magically unites the minute with the grandiose, the public with the private, business with pleasure, real with fantastic. Dressler faces the challenge all New Yorkers know well (even those who lived there for three years): where do I go from here? On his unending quest to fulfill his desires and satiate his dreams, much is lost. Along these lines, Millhauser gives us the paradox of success and failure, gain and loss - and, how close they are to each other.

Overall, a delightful read. Beautiful prose. A bit melancholy, but countered nicely with a sense of wonderment and energy that permeate the pages.

Check it out!

Caroline's Wedding!

What a beautiful and fun weekend!

Caroline married DeWayne this weekend, and I was honored to be in the bridal party. Friday and Saturday were filled with wedding festivities, including hitting the Salon for manis and pedis, lunch at the Ivy house, the rehearsal, Olive Garden for rehearsal dinner, hair and make-up at the Payne home before the wedding, the wedding itself, and a reception afterwards at Plantation Hall in Haile. Caroline looked beautiful, and the day went incredibly smoothly. Lots of great food, great guests, great music, beautiful flowers, sweet moments, and stunning photos. I definitely felt like a princess with my nails, hair, and make-up done. Thanks, Caroline! Oh, and I wore five-inch heels. Hey, what can I say? They made my legs look good!

Enjoy the pictures!

At the Salon...

My sweets at the wedding...

The bridesmaids. What a great group of girls! And so beautiful.

A close-up of our beauty.

Barbie would be jealous of our nails...

...And our toes and shoes!

So colorful!

The beautiful bride and I after hair and make-up.

My hair from the side.

From the back. I look like I have a ton of hair!

At the rehearsal.

Lunch at the Ivy house with all the women: friends and family.

Look, you can't even tell I am missing three toe nails!